The Department

About Us

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECpE) offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that provide students with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed in the electrical engineering, computer engineering, and software engineering fields. Students get to interact with our departments’ diverse student body and faculty, and obtain practical experience to prepare them for exciting careers where they can make a difference in people’s lives. Research in our department focuses on five high-impact interdisciplinary areas: bioengineering, cyber infrastructure, distributed sensing and decision making, energy infrastructure, and small-scale technologies.

Quick Facts

Here’s a quick look at some facts about the ECpE department, which was established in 1909.

STUDENTS

Total undergraduate enrollment: 2,001

Electrical Engineering: 629

Computer Engineering: 806

Software Engineering: 566

Total MS and MEng student enrollment: 203

Total PhD student enrollment: 184

PhDs awarded: 34 (2015-16)

Total Degrees Awarded: 248 (2015-16)

Electrical Engineering: 107

Computer Engineering: 94

Software Engineering: 47

Scholarships awarded to students: More than $740,000 (2016-17)

ALUMNI

Alumni: More than 11,000

Job placement: Nearly 90 percent of Iowa State electrical, computer, and software engineering bachelor’s degree graduates have accepted job offers by the time they graduate (2012)

Starting salaries: Averages more than $64,000 (2014)

RESEARCH

Research expenditures: $13 million (2015)

Research centers and institutes: 11

Research laboratories: 20

RANKINGS

Top 25 ECpE graduate programs among public programs (U.S.News & World Report, 2016)